


Pen Pal

by whitechocolate27



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-13 10:00:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 6,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1222069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitechocolate27/pseuds/whitechocolate27
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock, being as annoying as he is, never finds a flatmate and lives alone in 221B Baker Street. One day, he comes across an interesting ad for the Royal Mail in the newspaper.</p><p>John Watson, an army doctor stationed in Afghanistan, finds a pen pal and friend in Sherlock Holmes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The italicised text will be letters from Sherlock.  
> The underlined text will be letters from John.

It was another boring day in 221B Baker Street. The curtains were closed and a tall and lanky consulting detective was rotting of boredom on the sofa. He looked to the side and saw the newspaper that Mrs. Hudson left on the coffee table. He reached for the paper and skimmed through the wonderful news of happy celebrations going on in London. “Boring,” he mumbled. Why couldn’t there be more murders and crimes on the papers? They never liked to go into detail on _those_ articles.

A few pages into the paper, something caught Sherlock’s eye. It was an ad. It wasn’t very eye-catching, mind you. It took up half a page and was just a plain, black and white page with a soldier’s picture. The ad read:

“Bring back pen pals! Write to a brave soldier stationed somewhere around the world!  
General information:

-       Your pen pal will be a member of the British Armed Forces that is stationed anywhere around the world.

-       Visit www.------------.co.uk to receive a random post box number to send your mail to."

Sherlock sat up and reached for his laptop and entered the site’s address. The site was the same as the ad. Plain. Boring. That didn’t stop Sherlock from clicking the “Get your post box number” button though.

Once the page loaded, he was faced with a post box number. Despite his curiosity, he decided not to search where in the world that number could be. He stood up and looked around the flat for a blank piece of paper.

_Hello, random soldier—_

_I would say man, but seeing as the number of females who have joined the service has increased over the years, I’d rather wait for a response ~~if one does come~~ than deduce with no information ~~well I wouldn’t say “no information”~~ on who might be reading this letter. I would like to inform you that I find this to be neither exciting nor “fun.” I was merely bored and found the opportunity… fascinating. Never know what one could learn from you. Oh look, bored already. I do hope someone responds quickly. I do hate the sluggish post system and would prefer to text. Seeing as that is costly in this situation. This would have to do. _

_– S. Holmes._

Sherlock folded the letter and placed it in an envelope. He scribbled the P.O. box number on the envelope and left it for Mrs. Hudson to find, and hopefully, add to her list of things to do. He was already bothered enough to write the letter. God forbid if he had to send it as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to post this sooner than I intended to due to the fact that the 'chapter 1/1' on top was misleading a lot of people. This is a multi-chapter story and I will be updating as often as I can :) sorry for the mix-up

Captain John Watson. Army doctor for the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers. He was stationed in Afghanistan. He had a year left there when his superior notified them that the Royal Mail came up with a new tactic to bring costumers back to sending letters. In a few days’ time, they would be receiving letters from people in Great Britain – “back at home,” they would call it. It was their choice whether they wanted to send a letter back or not. They will neither be obliged nor charged to send a response. This lightened the spirits of the soldiers very much.

 

It was almost a week before letters started coming in. Everyone was clambering at one another to get a letter. No matter how many times they would receive a letter from a family member, the feeling was very different when you get mail from someone you never met.

“Oi, Watson!” someone yelled. “The post from that new Royal Mail program came in. You coming?”

“I’ll just get whatever’s left, Murray. If there ain’t anymore left, I don’t really mind.” John said as he stretched his aching muscles.

“Suit yourself! I heard Jones already got one with a hot bird’s picture in it!” Bill said excitedly.

“That’s nice, Bill. You should go on then! Wouldn’t want all the good ones to be taken.” John said before returning to his book. It was the fourth time that he’s read it but he didn’t really expect to stay so long in Afghanistan.

 

Hours later, an opened letter was dumped in front of John.

“What’s this then?” he asked and took the letter.

“No one wanted it. Sounds like a complete smart arse if you ask me. Thought maybe you should see for yourself before I dump it in the bin.” Bill said.

John looked at the letter. The envelope was long gone and rips and tears here and there suggested that there was one heck of a fight for the letters at the hall.

He opened the letter and began to read. Bill Murray was shocked. Instead of the scowl that he saw on most of the other soldiers faces, John began to smirk.

“Huh, does seem like a smart arse.” John said with a giggle.

“See? Give it here” Bill said and extended his arm towards the letter.

“What? Why?” John said and moved the letter further from Bill’s reach.

“I was going to bin it, remember? Don’t tell me you’re actually going to reply!”

“I think I will” John smiled and jumped up from his seat to find a pen and paper.

“Oh, and Bill,” John said and turned towards him. “Where’s the envelope? Can’t send this without an address.”

“Oh,” Bill said as he returned to his senses. “Yeah, here” he said and slowly handed the torn envelope. It would be difficult to read the address now but he was pretty sure he could figure it out.

“John?” Bill said as John was exciting the room. “You sure?”

“’Course I am. See you later, Bill.” John replied with a smile.

S.Holmes – 

Good day! Smart of you not to assume genders. I have worked with many great women here, but alas, I am a man. Sorry to disappoint. Name’s John Watson. If you haven’t already found out, the P.O. box you sent this to is in Afghanistan. So, let’s start with the basics then, shall we? I can see that you live in the London area. What do you do? Can’t say I have a lot to go on from your letter. Hoping I’m not boring you too much already. First time doing this whole “pen pal” thing. Is it your first time too? 

John Watson

John frowned at his letter. It was short but what could he say to someone he hasn’t met before? As much as he’d like to deny it. He was excited to get a response.


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks. Two excruciatingly long weeks since his last case with Lestrade. Saying that Sherlock Holmes was bored was the biggest understatement of the century. He walked into the main room and found that Mrs. Hudson had left the mail on his table. How lovely of her.

At a glance, Sherlock deduced them to be another pile of bills and fliers. At a second glance, though, he noticed an envelope that was slightly messier than the others. It couldn’t have been type-written. Interesting.

He walked to the table and moved the pile of bills to a corner while he examined the mysterious letter. “P.O. box -------…” he read. It hit him. He would never forget a number so easily.

He opened the letter and out fell a piece of paper. It looked like it had been torn from an old notebook.

He unfolded the letter and started reading. The handwriting was neat. _He_ , as Sherlock just found out, had steady hands then. He finished reading the letter, still bored but, a tad bit interested in this “John Watson” fellow.

He stood from his chair and reached for a new sheet of paper.

_John Watson –_

_Well, isn’t that interesting. Afghanistan you say? I must admit that I did not expect my letter to reach so far._

_Also, your question is very vague. “What do you do?” I do many things. I play ~~occasionally~~ sleep and eat. I play the violin and, right now, I am currently writing this letter. What, if I may ask, are you doing in Afghanistan? Rather, what position do you hold? I would assume you were a doctor due to your stable hands but, seeing as the entire military is trained to have stable hands, I have, once again, little to go on. _

_Seeing as I’ve said in my past letter that I “prefer to text,” then, yes, this is my first time having a “pen pal.”_

_~~This was interesting.~~ _ _I am still bored._

_– S. Holmes._

Sherlock looked at his letter once and folded it. He looked around the table for an envelope and decided to use the envelope that one of the fliers came in. Not like he cared anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! It's been very hectic in uni lately and I've struggling to find time to write this. I hope you enjoyed :)


	4. Chapter 4

After finishing a rather tiring shift, John was finally replaced by Smith and left to take a shower. Before heading for the showers, however, he passed the main room. That was where the incoming letters were placed.

It was strange. Ever since he’d sent the letter to ‘S. Holmes,’ he’d been finding time to pass by and check for a reply. He never used to care. All he’d get were letters from Harry, his sister. He never really did look forward to those. She barely wrote. How could she when she was barely ever sober?

“Got anything for me, mate?” John said as he headed for a man sorting several envelopes.

“Captain Watson, let’s see…” the man replied as he sifted through the letters. “Oh, one here!” he said as he handed John the letter.

“Thank you!” John said and walked towards the barracks.

 

After showering, John returned to the barracks and found Bill lying on one of the other beds.

“Just got off duty?” John asked.

“Yup” he asked quickly.

“What’s that?” John asked. Bill was smiling at the letter he was reading. Bill didn’t reply.

When John reached his bunk, he noticed that his letter was missing from under his pillow.

“Bill! Is that mine?!” John said and saw the opened envelope on Bill’s side.

“You’ve found yourself one clever bloke, Watson.” Bill said and handed John the letter and John snatched it from his hands.

“Why are you reading my letters?! What if it was personal?” John said.

“Personal? The second letter? Hardly.” Bill said and started laughing. “Maybe I’d stop reading them once you guys get a little… _personal_. I’d rather not know those things about you.”

“Bill!” John said. Wait, was he blushing? Definitely not. “For the nth time, I AM NOT GAY!”

“Mmhmm.” Bill just said with a smirk. “Gonna grab dinner. Have fun!” Bill said and wiggled his eyebrows.

“Shut it!” John said and threw a pillow at him as he ran out of the room.

 

S. Holmes – 

Violin? How classy! I would have loved to learn the violin.

What do you mean you ‘occasionally’ eat and sleep?! (I’m not blind, you know. I can see behind your swiggles) 

You seriously got all that from my handwriting? That’s.. brilliant! How do you do that? Now, I really must know ‘your work.’ You were very close! I’m an army doctor here. Help a lot with first aid and major injuries. Hard to do, I must say. What with all the sand going all over the place. (And as a doctor, I must say that you eat and sleep REGULARLY.)

Oh you live in London right? How is it there this time of year? I do miss it. I wish to settle there once I return.

Unlike you, I see no shame in admitting that I do find this whole ‘pen pal’ thing, very exciting. It livens up my time here a bit. I don’t always get letters from home, you know.

Eagerly awaiting for your reply, 

John Watson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters for today because I feel really bad about not posting.


	5. Chapter 5

_2 months later_

“Sherlock?” Mrs. Hudson said as she walked up the stairs to 221B.

“Sherlock, what are these letters you keep getting from… Afghanistan? Do you have relatives there? So sweet of them to write so often.” Mrs. Hudson said with a dreamy look on her face.

“No, Mrs. Hudson,” Sherlock said and took the letters from her. “All my relatives are perfectly happy here in Europe.”

“Then what are all these letter? You know, I would never have noticed if you’d just get your own mail, young man.”

“They’re from John.” Sherlock said before moving to the kitchen and ripping the envelope open.

“John? Who’s John?”

“He’s a Captain serving in Afghanistan.”

“Oh! Is he an old friend then?” She said in an excited tone.

“No, never met him.” he said plainly.

“Never met—OH!” She said and jumped in glee. “Have you found a pen pal? Oh, it’s good to know those still exist!”

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Hudson. Thank you for bringing the mail. Feel free to bring tea later. Good bye” he said.

“Oh, alright. I see,” she started “you need to read your letter from ‘John’ in peace.” she said with a smirk.

“ _Good afternoon, Mrs. Hudson.”_ Sherlock said more firmly.

Mrs. Hudson just giggled and left the room.

 

“Watson!” Bill yelled from afar.

“You have another letter from lover boy!” Bill said and dropped the envelope on John’s face.

“He is not my _lover boy_.” John said before taking the envelope and stuffing it under his pillow.

“Aw, well, aren’t you gonna read it?” Bill said as he plopped down on his own bunk.

“Maybe later” John said and draped his arm over his eyes.

“Can’t read it with people around, huh?” Bill said with a smirk. “Well, sorry to break the bad news but it’s hard to find a moment’s peace around here!”

“Shut it!” John said and threw a pillow at his laughing friend.

“Seriously though! This guy writes to you more than your own family!”

“I don’t know, Bill. He’s just interesting. He’s fun to talk to.” John said and smiled under his arm.

“God, John, you sound like a teenage girl. It’s almost heart-warming” Bill said and dramatically placed his palms on his chest.

“I didn’t mean it that way! He just has interesting stories.”

“ _Interesting?”_ Bill said and sat up. “We’re in the middle of war! What’s happening right next door could be _really_ interesting.”

“But this guy’s a detective! _Consulting_ detective, he says. He solves crimes and can read people from just one look!” John said.

“Ah,” Bill said and smiled. “Looks like you’re completely besotted. Congratulations, mate!”

“Urgh!” John said and covered his face with a pillow. “I don’t even know why I bother to explain to you.”

At that, Bill just laughed.


	6. Chapter 6

Because of Mrs. Hudon’s lectures and ramblings, Sherlock was _convinced_ (more like _forced_ ) to take the bedroom in 221B. He argued that it would go to waste, as he was fine with sleeping on the couch. But with Sherlock’s line of work, he would be needing the rest.

Under the _unused_ bed in Sherlock’s _unused_ room, there were two boxes. One box, really just an old cookie tin, was filled with letters from a certain army doctor in Afghanistan. The second, an old tea tin, housed numerous unsent letters—letters that Sherlock never planned on sending

_John Watson –_

_You have proved to be very interesting. I do hope to meet you someday._

_(random scribbles)_

_(The paper is crumpled.)_

_John Watson—_

_Do you have family in London? Do they write as often as I do? I’m guessing not. You hinted that they were ‘distant.’_

_Why do you write to me so often? Why not to them?_

_John,_

_Assuming I am correct, you are unwed. Though what I cannot deduce is if you have a lover waiting for you. Do you? Do they write to you as well? Am I sharing your free time with a lover of yours? ~~I do apologise if that is the case.~~_

__

_~~John,~~ _

_~~I may find you more than ‘just’ interesting.~~ _

_(scribbled over and crumpled)_

_~~John,~~ _

_~~When are you coming back? Will you agree to meet me when you do? Can we be friends?~~ _

__

_(crossed out and crumpled)_

_John,_

_There is a bedroom upstairs if you’re in need of a place to stay when you get back._

_~~John,~~ _

_~~I lo—~~ _

_(crossed out with the words, “STUPID. STUPID. STUPID,” at the bottom)_


	7. Chapter 7

John was excited. A new batch of mail came in and he was in the middle of writing a reply to his penpal.

S. Holmes,

Oh, come on! I refuse to believe that a man as ‘posh’ as you could be named “Sheeza!” I’ve told you my name ages ago! I should at least know yours! No matter what it is, I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.

John stared at the sentence he just wrote and crossed it out. He couldn’t let his penpal know that. He wouldn’t admit it but, he was really starting to lo—

“WATSON!” a voice yelled.

“We need you out there! There’s been an ambush! Move, soldier!”

John scrambled to get his things in order before rushing out.

 

“White, look out!” John called.

“Oof—oh god, thanks, mate.”

“No pro—“

“Watson? What’s wrong?

 

**“WATSON?!”**

 

John woke up to a familiar face.

“Bill?”

“You’ll be okay, mate” Bill said. It was obvious that he was forcing to keep his emotions intact. “You’ll be okay.”

And with that, John was unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And because I'm a completely terrible person, I leave you guys with 2 chapters and a cliffhanger. 
> 
> For everyone that's been worrying, I WILL FINISH THIS.
> 
> Also, I've already started the next chapter. IT WILL COME A LOT SOONER.


	8. Chapter 8

S. Holmes from 221B. That was all John could remember. After two weeks in multiple hospitals and infirmaries, it was hard to remember anything else. John wasn’t an idiot. He knew what all the procedures would lead to. He wasn’t sure of his exact location but he was sure that it was miles away from Afghanistan.

 

John. What has happened to _his_ army doctor? Dread filled Sherlock’s veins as he soon realised that John was writing from a warzone. Sherlock knew how fast a bullet could kill.

 

221B? What good with those numbers be. Without a street, heck, without his sodding _first name,_ John’s chances of meeting his ~~soul mate~~ pen pal were slim.

With the little he’s been getting from his army pension, he soon realised that he would be needing a job. It would help with ‘adjusting back into civilian life,’ as his therapist puts it.

 

“SHERLOCK! Will you let me in?!” Lestrade shouted.

“Go away.”

“You’ve been locked in there for weeks—“

“A month, dear” Mrs. Hudson corrected.

“A month!” Lestrade said and lowering his hand from the door.

“Will you just—can you at least come out? I won’t force any cases on you but we’re all genuinely worried.” Lestrade said, lowering his voice.

“Oh, it’s that darn boyfriend of his. ‘John.’ They’ve been writing for months! Haven’t seen a letter from him since Sherlock lock himself up.”

At that, Sherlock opened the door and said, “GO AWAY… please.”

Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson’s hearts melted. Sherlock was a complete wreak. His robe was undone and his eyes were red.

Sherlock didn’t want to admit but, _he was heartbroken._


	9. Chapter 9

\--

_Do you really believe it was the fireman who did it? Too simple, John._

Exactly! Who else could it be? The facts clues all led to him!

_Oh, simple-minded John._

\--

Do you think we’d be friends? You know, if I was there.

_Define ‘friend,’ John._

\--

You have a brother? What’s he like?

\--

I didn’t grow up in the city. Mum thought it was too loud. Always wanted to though. 

_Why don’t you? You have your whole life ahead of you._

\--

You really think I’d fit in London?

_Of course, John. You’re a soldier not an alien._

\--

Would it really be okay if I stayed there?

_If you really did have no place to go, I wouldn’t have it any other way._

\--

It wasn’t healthy, Sherlock knew. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop recalling the letters that were sent between him and John. Oh, the plans they had. The crimes they solved. Solving crimes through the post wasn’t exactly very _time efficient_ but it did entertain him (and John) when it came to cold cases.

Two months after the mysterious “disappearance” of ~~his~~ John, Sherlock decided to face the facts: John was either avoiding him or—

John was dead.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a bright and sunny day in Sherlock’s point of view. In truth, it was a gloomy and sad day. Unknown robberies were popping up from different corners of London. Lestrade’s head was at its breaking point. Sherlock, on the other hand, was happier than he has been in months.

\--

“BREAKING NEWS: London’s banks closed for today to make way for suspicious and continuous robberies.”

“That doesn’t sound too good,” a girl’s voice said from behind.

“Oh, Sarah,” John said as he turned. “Yeah, seems like they’ve got a lot on their hands lately.”

“Actually, John, because of this whole mess, _we’ve_ got a lot on our hands too. I’ve been meaning to tell you. Can you take extra shifts in the emergency department? They’ve been sending ambulances back and forth from those crime scenes.” Sarah said as she walked to her desk.

“Oh?” John said as he looked away from the television again, “Oh, sure. I really don’t have anything better to do, to be honest.” John said with a sheepish smile.

“You seem to be really interested in those robberies, eh?” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“I—no” John stammered.

She giggled. “No matter. Good that you’re on board. I’ll send you your shift schedule in a while. Thanks, John.” She said before walking away.

John smiled and sighed once she was out of the room. He loved his new job but, it never filled the whole inside him. He still felt empty.

“’ _Inspector Lestrade! May we have a few words?’_

‘Look, if it’s about the robberies, talk to him, alright? I really don’t feel like it right now’

_‘Confirmed by Inspector Lestrade himself! We’re here live to report to you that Inspector Lestrade’s team has been working with Mr. Holmes! Mr. Holmes!’”_

John’s neck might have snapped at that. Once the reporter said the name ‘Holmes,’ his eyes were glued to the television.

_“’Anything about the cases, Mr. Holmes?’_

’Go away. I have no time for this’”

John’s heart leapt. God, that was him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I post two chapters when I feel bad about not posting! Yay!


	11. Chapter 11

It was another normal, _boring_ , day at 221B Baker Street. Sherlock, after solving crime after crime, has actually found time to lay down and sleep. On the couch of course. God forbid if he had to sleep in his room. Too far away from his mould experiment. Besides, Sherlock couldn’t bear to even see a glimpse of his bed. No way. Not with him knowing about the two dusty and neglected boxes that lay underneath. He didn’t want to remember the days when he was _happy._ He didn’t want to remember that he had a, what he believed was a, friend. No, he had something more special. He had a _John._

 

John was crazy. He was going loony trying to find this man. Good thing he lived alone. Otherwise, people might really start to wonder why he was on the floor with mountains of newspapers around him.

Sherlock Holmes. It _had_ to be him. Who else would give comments as snarky as him? John just knew he was on the right track. Now that he was on this search, he knew that he had to find Sherlock Holmes.

New Scotland Yard. That was it! It was on all the papers. John linked that with all the cases that this man has solved, he solved under New Scotland Yard. That’s it! He must have worked with them. If he was right, S. Holmes never liked working on the police force. He was just open for _consultations._

Tuesday morning. It was perfect. The clinic was overflowing with new interns lately. He needed this free day. Unlike the normal person though, he was spending his day-off outside New Scotland Yard. Just waiting and watching.

John was waiting. He was waiting on a bench that was just outside and had finished his fish and chips an hour ago. He was getting really tired of this. Suddenly, someone noticed his constant stare on the door.

“You waiting for someone?” said a woman with curly hair. She approached him.

“Ah, yes. I was hoping to catch Sherlock Holmes.” John said as he looked up at her and slowly stood up.

“Ha! That freak? He doesn’t work here. As if we’d ever let him work here. He’ll just ruin our work environment.”

“Oh..” John said and looked away. “I’ll just—“ John cleared his throat and voice from disappointment, “be on my way then. Thanks.”

“No problem. He might pass by our morgue though. He’s a freak like that. Have a nice day.” she said and walked back into the building.

 

Sherlock was pumping with adrenaline. He just bought a new pack of nicotine patches. Lovely. He needed a case. Now. Sherlock hoped onto a cab and made his way to New Scotland Yard. Hopefully he could annoy Lestrade enough to give him a case.

Damn cabbies. Always taking the long route to try and get more money out of you. No matter, after a thorough yelling about the “stupidity” and “incompetence” of the driver, Sherlock finally made it to his destination.

“Ah, the smell of mindless individuals.” Sherlock said with a deep inhale. “Oh, it’s just you, Anderson. Good afternoon.”

“ _Always a pleasure.”_   Anderson said with distaste.

“Break it up, you two. After barely a minute from walking in here, you already got them on their toes. What do you want?” Lestrade said as he was massaging his temples.

“A case! You must be working on something!” Sherlock said as he was throwing his hands in the air.

“Look Sher—“

“I knew I heard that freak’s voice.” Donovan said as she walked into the room and placed a stack of papers on Lestrade’s desk.

“More?” Lestrade asked with a sigh.

“That Potts case really has us buried.” she replied.

“Oh, Potts case? Let’s do that then.” At this point, it was hard to tell the difference between Sherlock and a five year old.

“Oh, you have _enough_ excitement in your life, Mr. Popular.” Donovan said with a smirk. “What with all the fans? You must be practically _buried_ in your own set of papers.”

“Fans? What on earth are you talking about? Now about that case—“

“You name’s all over the papers! Of course you’d have fans! Bordering on stalkers, if you ask me. I mean just a while ago, I had to chase away some man outside who was waiting—“

“A man?” Sherlock asked.

“Yup. Had some muscle on him too. Looks like you attract all sorts.” she said with a wink.

“Ugh. Please let her leave. Her voice is hurting my brain.” Sherlock said with a roll of his eyes.

“Fine,” she said and raised her hands in surrender, “I’ll go. But I’m telling you, you’re famous.”

“Fans,” Sherlock thought, “how tedious.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I completely understand if everyone wants to go throw things at me. I've left this story for a month! God, but what an awful month it was. I had my finals, I was editing my school’s paper, and don’t even get me started on Holy Week. Everyone in my family is a devout Christian and they really went all out in “celebrating” this year. So sorry again :( Don’t worry. I feel awful. I really do wish I started this in the Summer so I’d have more consistent updates.


	12. Chapter 12

 “You are completely passed legal, Sherlock. You need to start being independent.” Mycroft said. On the other side of the living room, Sherlock was mocking him. “Let’s start with you paying your bills on time. I’ve lost count on how many times your electricity has been cut. You overreacted—“ “I did no such thing!” Sherlock said with an incredulous on his face. Mycroft just sighed.

“Why not get a flatshare? Maybe your flatmate would have the common sense to pay the bills properly.. or at least remind you to.” Mycroft said with a smirk. He was quite proud of his idea.

“I will do no such thing! Have you looked around you? This is a  _one_ person spot. Now, leave.” Sherlock said and opened the door with a smile. Mycroft sighed and walked out.

Once Mycroft was gone, Sherlock sat on his couch and placed his head in his hands. How could Mycroft even suggest such an idea! He only entertained the idea of having a flatmate once in his life. Unfortunately, those dreams died with the man he hoped would be his flatmate.

 

After two months and twelve days of searching, John was on his verge insanity. He could no longer pay for newspapers. He disconnected his internet connection and relied on the computer at work or the few times he could afford to eat out. John’s pension was just barely paying a flat in London. He couldn’t move in with Harry or, god forbid, his parents. The mobile that Harry passed to him, despite being a bit beat up, was enough.

One day at work, Sarah, once again, catches John looking at news articles during his break.

“Still looking for him, eh? You know, this is starting to turn into an addiction—“

“Something you needed, Sarah?” John said, looking up from the computer’s screen.

Sarah laughed, “Nothing, John.”

“Oh, by the way, are there any more extra shifts I could probably take? Is Harold still sick? Maybe I could fill in for—“

“He had the  _flu,_ John. You can’t expect him to be gone forever.” Sarah said with complete seriousness. John sighed, “Maybe I can—“

“Look, maybe you should find a part-time job? Or a flatshare?” She said and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe…” he said with a sigh.

“And John,” she started, turning him to look at her. She leaned over and closed the tab on his computer. “Hey!”

“I don’t think that chasing after a ‘celebrity’ is going to help your problems. Mrs. Potts will be with you in a moment.”

John watched her as she walked out the door and closed it. He let out a big sigh.

 

Sherlock was  _definitely_ not taking Mycroft’s advice. He was just… trying to find a distraction.

Bobby Green, gym instructor. Overly confident and muscular.

“I really think that this space has potential! Look at all this room! We really could fit a treadmill over at that corner!” Bobby said, pointing at the far left side of the room. Sherlock just rubbed at his temples.

“You could even use it too! You’re some cop chap, ain’t you?” he said and walked around the flat.

“That kitchen is  _huge!_  Maybe we could move a—what is that?! OH LORD.”

In a second, Bobby was grabbing and coat and was out the door. Hm, Sherlock didn’t think it was necessary for him to keep his new stock of  _“parts”_ from Barts. Oh, pity.

 

John was looking through listings. He was trying to find flats outside of London. Maybe,  _just maybe,_ the saving he’ll get from the rent would be more than enough to compensate for the longer commute.

 

Robert Wilson. Singly and openly gay.

“So, let me get this straight, you want a flatshare because of the.. drama?” Sherlock said in a bored tone.

“No, Mr. Holmes!” He said, looking slightly offended. “I want it for the romance! Think about it,” he said and stood up excitedly.

“We would meet under odd circumstances. Maybe through a common friend? Then we’d be pushed together by fate and live together. We’d deny our relationship at first, of course. Can’t be too predictable. But then,  _then,_ we would realise that we’d fallen madly in love with each other! What we thought was just a strong companionship was actually a budding romance!” he said and sighed. “Isn’t that lovely?”

 

John could see the bottom of his wallet and payday was weeks away. He had no choice – he just had to brave limping to work. Anyway, he had gone through worse. Unfortunately, he had to wake up at 4 AM just to be able to make it to work on time. What an ungodly hour.

 

Jonathan Dale. Not only was he completely boring, but he didn’t mind anything Sherlock threw at him. He shrugged at the body parts and laughed at Sherlock’s violin of death solo. Something was up.

“Interesting story, Mr. Dale. Now, how did you find out about the flat? Word of mouth, maybe?” Sherlock asked as he sat on his chair with his violin.

“Found the ad on the paper!” He said with a smile. Big mistake.

Sherlock smirked. “Where did you say you worked again?” Sherlock asked. “A small government agency. Don’t worry. My job shouldn’t affect my stay here and the income’s pretty stable so I can assure you that I can pay for the rent and bills—“ “Mr. Dale, may I borrow your phone? I just need to make a quick call. Mine’s upstairs and, if we were to be flatmates and potential friends, we  _should_ be very open with each other.” Sherlock said with a charming smile.

“No problem!” Jonathan said as he reached into his pocket and handed Sherlock the phone.

Sherlock unlocks the phone and immediately scrolls through the contacts list. Sherlock decided he would give “Boss” a call.

“Dale, how was the—“ a familiar voice started at the other side of the line.

“Piss off, Mycroft.” At that, Jonathan paled and attempted to grab the phone away from Sherlock.

“Also, you should really re-evaluate your entire staff. This one is dumb, gullible, and too easily persuaded. Goodbye.” Sherlock said and handed the phone back to a wide-mouthed and guilty looking Jonathan.

“Good day, Mr. Dale.” Sherlock said, opening the door and gesturing towards the staircase.   

 

Sunday was a day when, finally, John could relax. John looked out the sad excuse for a window in his flat. It was sunny, for once, outside. No point in staying in the flat. He was going to go out and enjoy the day. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could find a place with free WiFi so he could enjoy his favourite pastime, looking for Sherlock Holmes.

John found himself at the park. It looks like he wasn’t the only one who decided to enjoy the day. Unfortunately, that meant that nearly all the park benches were occupied. From a distance though, he could see a park bench occupied by only one man. Hopefully that man wasn’t waiting for someone. Maybe he could even get lucky and strike up a conversation. It would sure add some colour to John’s, otherwise, boring life.

As John approached the bench, he slowly started to see the man and, to his surprise, he recognised the man. Mike Stamford.

“John? John Watson!” Mike said as he squinted his eyes and adjusted his glasses.

“Mike! This seat taken?” John said as he shook hands with his old friend. “No, go ahead” Mike said and offered him the seat.

“How have you been? I thought you were abroad somewhere getting shot at, what happened?” Mike asked.

John looked down towards his cane and said, “got shot.” Mike made a silent ‘oh’ and cleared his throat.

“So, want a coffee? My treat!” Mike said as he gestured towards a stand.

“Yes, thank you” John said with a smile. Today really was full of surprises. He meets an old friend and now he gets offered coffee! Thank god.

After a while, Mike came back and handed him his cup. “Thank you.” John said.

“Are you still at Bart’s then?” John asked after taking a sip of the coffee. He didn’t realise how much he missed the taste of coffee that didn’t come from the clinic’s vending machine.

“Teaching now,” Mike said and took another sip. “Bright young things, like we used to be. God, I hate them!” Mike said and laughed. John laughed in reply as well.

“What about you? Just staying in town ‘til you get yourself sorted?” Mike asked. “I can’t afford London on an Army pension.” John said with a bittersweet smile.

Mike smiled, “Ah, and you couldn’t bear to be anywhere else! That’s not the John Watson I know.” At that, John shifted in his seat and mumbled something. Mike looks away drinks his coffee.

“Couldn’t Harry help?” Mike asked. “Yeah, like that’s gonna happen” John said sarcastically.

Mike shrugged and laughed a little, “I don’t know. Get a flatshare or something?”

“Come on. Who’d want me for a flatmate?” John said. Mike smiled and laughed.

“What?” Was John’s idea  _that_  laughable?

“Well,” Mike said as he tried to supress his smile, “you’re the second person to say that to me today.”

Surprised, John asked, “Who was the first?”

JOHN: Come on – who’d want me for a flatmate?

Mike replies, “Come on, he’ll be at Bart’s. It’s about time I get back anyway. Lots of papers to do an all.”

They stood and walked to Bart’s.

 

Molly Hopper walks in the room and hands Sherlock a cup of coffee. “Molly! Coffee! Thank you—oh, what happened to the lipstick?” Sherlock asked as he received the cup of coffee. Molly walks towards the door just as it opens again and reveals Mike with a man trailing behind him.

“Bit different from my day,” John said as he looked around the room. Suddenly, he spotted the tall man in the room. ‘Oh my god,’ John though. He froze next to the door.

“It wasn’t working for me,” Molly said, holding the door open.

‘Would he recognise me? Nonsense, we never sent pictures.’ John thought sadly.

“Really? I thought it was a big improvement. Your lips are too small now.” Sherlock said and took a sip of his coffee. ‘God, that voice.’ John thought.

“Okay.” Molly said with a sigh and walked out.

‘God, the pictures in those newspapers didn’t give justice to this man’s beauty.’ John thought. Beauty? What was John thinking? This man was e _thereal._

“Mike, can I borrow your phone? There’s no signal on mine.” Sherlock said while looking into a microscope.

“Well, what’s wrong with the landline?” Mike asked as he reached for a stool to sit on.

“I prefer to text.” Sherlock replied.

“Sorry,” Mike said as he patted his pants and shirt’s pockets. “It’s in my coat.” Mike said and looked toward John. Mike looked at him questioningly. How long has he been staring at Sherlock? Dang it.

John shook his head and took his phone out of his pocket. “Oh, here. Use mine.” John said and reached over to hand Sherlock his phone.

“Oh, thank you.” Sherlock said and accepted the phone. Sherlock looked at the phone.

“This is an old friend of mine,” Sherlock saw the engraving. Harry Watson. It couldn’t be—

“John Watson.” Mike finished. Sherlock tried to keep his face as neutral as possible, but… John Watson. Could it be? It had to be a coincidence. No.. the tan lines, the posture, and clearly trained at Bart’s. Only one way to find out.

“Afghanistan or Iraq?” Sherlock asked with a straight face.

John’s voice was stuck in his throat. “Sorry?” his voice cracked. Great.

“Which was it?” Sherlock said and looked up at him. “Afghanistan or Iraq?”

John swallowed. This was it. “Afghanistan.” John said and straightened his posture consciously.

“John…” Sherlock breathed out. For a fraction of a second, all the emotion Sherlock has pent up was shown. Almost as immediately though, he sealed it up and just looked down. John breathed in deeply and quite audibly.

Sherlock cleared his throat and said, “How do you feel about the violin?”

“Sorry?” John said, surprised by the sudden change of topic.”

“Sometimes I don’t talk for days, I’m untidy, and I may or may not cause explosions in the flat.” Sherlock continued. “Why are you telling me this?” John said with his breath still caught in his throat.

“Potential flatmates should know the worst about each other. Though,” Sherlock said as he moved closer to John. “If I’m correct, I think we’ll get along just fine, John.” Sherlock said in a barely audible whisper. Almost as if that was only meant for his ears to hear. At that, Sherlock straightened and walked towards the door. “Wait—“

“7 o’clock at 221B Baker Street and the name’s Sherlock Holmes.” He said from the edge of the door. “Afternoon.” Sherlock said before shutting the door.

John couldn’t help it. He kept staring at the door with a smile on his face.

“You know,” Mike said, breaking John’s dream-like state. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you fancied him.” Mike said and laughed.

“What?!” John said in an unconvincing tone. “I think those kids are really starting to get to your head.” John said and joined in Mike’s laughter.

Their laughter slowly started to die and Mike said, “Baker Street, then?”

John smiled.

"Baker Street." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s the end! Thank you to everyone who read, commented, and overall loved my fic! :) I really appreciate it! I kept most of the last part as true to the BBC version as possible because I wanted a smooth transition to the events in ‘The Study in Pink.’ Thank you again! I had fun writing this chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> And there we go! Mostly inspired by the fact that I love giving (and receiving!) mail.


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